Centrifugal separator



June 21, 1966 M. KOELSCH CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledFeb. 11, 1963 INVENTOR.

BY LESTER M. KOELSCH ATTORNEY June 21, 1966 M. KOELSCH 3,256,994

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR Filed Feb. 11, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

BY LESTER M. KoELscH ATTORNEY 3,256,994 CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR Lester M.Koelsch, Beloit, Wis., assignor to Beloit Corporation, a corporation ofWisconsin Filed Feb. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 257,554 3 Claims. (Cl. 210-374)This invention relates to separators and more particularly to acontinuous centrifugal separator for separating liquid from solidsubstances in stock material containing the same.

Generally, centrifugal separators comprise a continuously rotatingbasket having concentrically mounted within it a helical flight or screwrotating at a different rate to provide a differential motion betweenthem. The rotation of the basket impels stock material, containingliquid and solid fractions, fed into l t-outwardly against the basketsidewalls while the relative motion between the screw and basket adaptsthe screw to advance the stock material through the basket to a suitablepoint of discharge. Heretofore all such centrifugal separators involvedpositive movement of the stock material through the basket to the pointof discharge. Typical centrifugal separators are described in 'U.S.Letters Patent No. 1,804,108, No. 2,462,098, No. 2,499,457 and'No.2,858,- 942.

It has been discovered that increased separation can be obtainedbet-ween liquid and solid fractions of stock material containing them byadapting the centrifugal separators to continuously expose new areas orportions of the layer or mat of stock material constrained against thesidewalls of the basket under centrifugal force. Generally this isaccomplished by adapting the centrifugal separator to move the stockmaterial, on the basket wall,

against the positive stock advancing influence of the screw whichthereby continuously plows up the stock layer in its travel through thebasket thereby providing a continuous churning or tumbling action whichconstantly exposes new portions of the stock to centrifugal action whichas a result enables increased separation and removal of the liquidfraction from the stock.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a centrifugalseparator of increased efficiency.

Another object of this invention is to provide a centrifugal separatoradapted to provide an increased separation of liquids from liquidcontaining stock material, such as juice from food pulp and the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel and improvedcentrifugal separator adapted to continuously disturb and agitate, intumbling-like action, liquid containing stock therein so as to obtain anincreased separtion of liquid from solid material in said stock.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparentfrom the following drawings and description in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational sectional view of a cen- -trifugal separatorillustrating one embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional view taken along lines 11-11 of FIGURE[1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of'a portion of the helical flightelement illustrated in the preceding figure;

FIGUURE 4 is a partial view for a modification of the embodimentillustrated in the preceding figure; and

' United States Patent 3,256,994 Patented June 21, 1966 ice FIGURE 5 isa diagrammatic illustration of a novel independent drive means foractuating a separator in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the centrifugal separator illustrated thereincomprises a rotatable open-ended perforated basket or shell ll oftapered conical configuration rotatably mounted about a main shaft 2, atone end, through connecting spider top supports or braces 3 fixedlysecured to the sleeve support 4 which is disposed about a sleeve bushingor bearing 5. The basket is rotatably mounted at its other bottom end tothe main shaft 2 by means of the spider bottom supports or braces 6zfixedly secured to bottom bushings 7 which is rotatably disposed aboutthe shaft.

The upper portions of the basket and main shaft 2 are mounted on ahousing or casing assembly 8 by means of a flanged support collar 9rotatably mounted through bearing 10 to the exterior of sleeve bushing Sand fixedly secured to the top of housing 3. which encloses the basket.The lower portion of shaft is secured in position by rotatable extensionof the shaft into a radial thrust bearing assembly 11 mounted, by meansof spiders 12, to a housing support or stand 1-3 fixedly secured bysuitable means to the housing -8 bottom wall 18.

The housing 8 is of imperforate construction and forms an annular liquidcontaining area 14 with the exterior of basket 1, and has a liquid drainconduit 15 provided in its housing bottom wall 18 for removal of liquidexpelled through the basket side wall and collecting in trough 16defined between the housing side wall -17 and the upwardly extendingflange 19 of the housing bottom wall 18. Also provided in the housing.top wall 20' is a stock inlet or feed conduit 21 disposed above and incommunicating relation with the basket interior to feed stock materialthereinto. In order to guard against passage of stock into the liquidcontaining area 14, the housing top wall 20 is also provided with adownwardly depending conical baffle 22 extending into the interior ofthe basket '1 and in overlapping relationship with the top thereof.

The basket or shell 1 is rotated by means of a drive assembly whichincludes a pulley or sheave-23 fixedly secured or keyed, in any suitablemanner, to the sleeve support 4- and drivingly connected by means of abelt 24 to another pulley 25 mounted on a motor shaft 26 of a motor 27which in accordance wth this invention powers the drive assembly torotate the basket at a rapid rate suflicient to provide enoughcentrifugal force to, both, expel the liquid fraction or eflluent fromthe stock through the basket wall and to move the stock constrained.against the basket wall upwardly thereon toward the divergent end of thebasket. In this regard-it is noted that although the basket may be usedby itself for the separation of the liquid fraction of the stock, thebasket may also be employed as a backing support for secondary screenmaterial 42 having any desired mesh as may be required for specificapplications. I

Also provided on the external wall of the basket 1, adjacent the bottomthereof, is an annular deflector plate 28, in overlapping relationshipwith the interior of the housing bottom wall flange 19 to channel theexpelled liquid fraction or eflluent into the trough 16 of housing 8.

To advance the stock material through the separator, the basket 1 hasprovided and concentrically disposed within it a helical flightarrangement or conveyor 31 fixedly mounted to the main shaft 2 withwhich it rotates by v.3 means of an independent drive assembly. Theflight arrangement is provided with radially extending screw or flightelements disposed in helical convolutions from end to end of the drum orshell, and the entire flight conveyor is of conical configuration withthe periphery of the helix extending in close proximity with side wallsof the basket to provide, for example, a clearance of the order of tothousandths of an inch. Accordingly, as will be appreciated, in such aclose relationship the flight arrangement has substantially the samecorresponding radial dimensions as the basket chamber. As illustrated inthe drawing the top of the flight arrangement terminates above the pointat which the flow of stock feed is directed against the basket wall asdetermined by means of a conical diffuser plate 50 fixedly mounted inrotation to the main shaft 2 whereby the stock fed into the mechanism isdeflected to the basket wall. Also in the preferred embodimentillustrated the flight arrangement comprises a ribbon screw element 32spirally edge wound into a conical configuration and mounted forrotation with the main shaft 2 by spider bars or rods 33 fixedly securedtherebetween.

The drive assembly for rotation of the flight conveyor comprises, forthe embodiment illustrated, a conveyor drive pulley or sheave 34 fixedlymounter to main shaft 2 and driven through a belt 35 mounted on a drivepulley 36 of motor shaft 26.

Although various means for the mounting of motor 27 may be employed incombination with or separate of the press, as in the embodimentillustrated the motor 27 may be mounted on a motor stand 29 which may berigidly .afiixed to or integrated with the separator by a plurality ofsupport brackets 30 which are rigidly secured in spaced relationshipvertically along and between the housing 8 and the motor stand 29. Inaddition, it is also to be understood that although a specific belt andpulley arrangement has been illustrated, other drive arrangements suchas gear trains, sprocket and chain assemblies and the like may beemployed driven by a single drive source or by independent drive meansto effect rotating relative motion for and between the basket and theconveyor which adapts them for extraction of the liquid fraction of thestock material with simultaneous advancement of the stock material tothe discharge end of the press where the substantial liquid free stockis discharged. To propel the stock material, constrained undercentrifugal action against the basket wall, through the separator, thedrive assembly for the conveyor is powered at a different rate.

than that for the basket so as to rotate the conveyor and the basket atdifferent rates providing suflicient relative movement between them toadapt the conveyor to overcome the movement of the stock material inaccordance with this invention, upwardly on the basket wall, undercentrifugal action, and to positively advance the stock material towardand out of the discharge or open end of the basket where it may beremoved by suitable means known in the art. By this novel relationshipbetween the conveyor and basket, the helical flight is adapted tocontinuously engage, and as a result peel and pare back the mat or layerof stock material moving toward the divergent inlet end of the basketwall, to provide in effect a plowing action which churns and tumbles thestock material toward the convergent discharge end of the basket thuscontinuously exposing new portions of the stock material for centrifugalaction which as a result increases the extraction of the liquid fractiontherein.

It is to be understood that although a specific clearance has been notedabove between the flight conveyor and the side walls of the perforatedbasket or shell, the invention is not to be restricted thereto sincesuch clearances may and do vary for various stock materials and all thatis required is that the clearance would should only be suflicient toimpart a positive advance of the stock material through the basket. Inaddition, the centrifugal separators may be adapted to control thevariation in the clearance to the amount desired. For example, asillustrated in FIGURE 4, the radial thrust bearing mounting 11 may bemovably mounted in axial movement with a main shaft support 49 carriedby the spider supports 12. Reciprocal vertical movement of the mainshaft 2 and the flight conveyor 31 is obtained by means by a hydraulicactuator or lift 41 suitably secured to the bottom of the bearingmounting 40. In this manner the hydraulic lift is adapted to raise orlower the main shaft 2 and the flight conveyor 31 carried thereon andthereby to vary and obtain the desired clearance between the helicalflights and the sidewalls of the basket depending on the manner in whichthe hydraulic lift is actuated.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a novel drive assembly adapted for use inindependent driving of the basket and helical conveyor of the separtordescribed above. As shown therein, a coupling rod is detachablyconnected to and in alignment with the main shaft 2 by means of splines95 which places them in drive relationship with each other. A tubularsupport 71 is concentrically mounted about the rod 70, and held inposition thereabout by means of a support arm 72 operatively connectedto the unit in a manner to be described below. Rotatably mounted aboutthe upper portion of the tubular support 71, by means of anyconventional bearings 79, is the inner wall of the flange 73 of a cuppeddrive wheel 74 with the external wall thereof suitably grooved fordriving thereof by a belt 75. Driving engagement between the drive wheel74 and coupling rod 70 is effected by means of a splined aperture 76 inthe bottom wall thereof for slidable mounting about complementarysplines 77 provided on the rod 7 0. As will be appreciated, the couplingrod 70 may be actuated in axial movement with spline 77 thereof slidablycooperating within the splined aperture 7 6 sufficiently to enable thedisengagement of the rod from its splined connection with the end of themain shaft 2. If desired, the distal end of the coupling rod 70 may beknurled at 78 to facilitate gripping thereat.

Mounted at the lower portion of the tubular support 71, by means ofbearings 80, is a gear pulley 81 having the bottom wall thereof providedwith a splined passage 84. An externally splined tubular coupling 96 isconcentrically mounted about the main shaft 2 and coupling 70 andadapted for driving engagement with sleeve support 4 by a slidingsplined connection with the splined passage 84 and in slidingrelationship with complementary splining provided internally in thesleeve support 4 adjacent the upper end thereof.

Co-action between coupling rod 70 and the tubular coupling 96, forremoval thereof from splined connection with main shaft 2, is effectedby means of spaced pins 85 and 86 suitably mounted in coupling rod 70 asby perforations therethrough, to pfbject radially therefrom, with thelower pin 85 adapted, on axial movement of coupling rod 70, to abut ashoulder 87 formed on the inner wall of the tubular coupling 96. As willbe observed, continued upward movement of coupling rod 70 will bring itsprojecting lower pin 85 into contact with the tubular coupling shoulder87 to force the tubular coupling 96 out, off its splined connection withthe sleeve support 4 with concurrent disengagement of the coupling rod70 from its splined connection with main shaft 2. Conversely, forre-engagement of the separated units, the control rod 70 is urgeddownwardly to effect its splined connection with main shaft 2, withconcurrent connection effected between the tubular coupling 96 andsleeve support 4 by means of the upper pin 86 suitably mounted on thecontrol rod 70 to cause the pin to abut on and urge the coupling sleeve84 into the desired connection.

As indicated above, power connection to drive the drive wheel 74 isprovided by means of a belt 75 frictionally seated thereon and on atake-off pulley 88 which is mounted for driving rotation on take-offshaft 89 having its lower end supported through bearings 90 to a carrierarm 91 which is suitably secured to motor stand 29.

. Similarly, sleeve support 4 is rotated through its connection withgear pulley 8 by means of a belt 106 drivingly engaged thereon and on asecond take-off gear pulley 107 mounted on the take-off shaft 89. Also,as shown in the drawing, the take-ofi? shaft 89 is radially supported bymeans of the above referred to support arm 72 having secured thereto, atan intermediate point along its length, a downwardly depending verticalsupport 92 disposed in sliding relationship along a shelf 93 which issuitably mounted to motor stand 29 and reinforced with any form of asuitable bracing 94. Also, as shown in the drawings, the belt 75 may belooped about an idler pulley 97 suitably secured to support arm 72. Aswill be appreciated the ability of the vertical support 92 to slidealong shelf 93 permits swinging, by means of the adaptability of thesupport arm 72 to pivot about take-off shaft 89 through bearing 105, thedisengaged driving assembly out of registry with the connecting elementsof the separator for more convenient access to the interior thereof.

The foregoing is operatively connected for driving thereof by a take-offpulley 88 powered by means of a belting 98 engaging a drive pulley 102,mounted on the take-off shaft 89, and on a power pulley 100 suitablyconnected, if desired, through any conventional adjustable speedcoupling 101 to the motor 27.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specificmaterials, embodiments and details, various modifications and changes,within the scope of this invention, will be apparent to one skilled inthe art and are contemplated to be embraced within the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A centrifugal separator for separating the liquid and solid fractionsof a stock material containing said fractions comprising an open endedperforated shell of ing stock material and mounted for rotation about asubstantially vertical axis,

a first drive means to rotate the shell at a rapid rate to providesuflicient centrifugal force to expel said liquid fraction from saidstock material through the perforations of said shell and to move saidsolid material by centrifugal force toward the divergent end of saidshell,

' a ribbon screw element having an open center with an unobstructedinner edge forming a spiral flight conveyor of conical configurationconcentrically disposed within said shell with the periphery thereofpositioned in close proximity to and coextending with the inner wall ofsaid shell to engage solid material thereon,

the areas between turns of the spiral being open radially inwardly,

second drive means to rotate said conveyor at a rate difierent than saidshell to provide suflicient relative movement therebetween tosimultaneously plow and propel said solid material toward the convergentend of said shell against the flow of said solid material toward thedivergent end of said shell under the centrifugal action whereby thesolid fraction is discharged at the convergent end,

said conveyor and said shell constructed and arranged to propel portionsof said solid stock material upwardly by centrifugal force toward thedivergent end radially within the inner edge of the ribbon screw elementof the flight conveyor,

and liquid conducting means for receiving the expelled liquid fraction.

2. A centrifugal separator for separating the liquid and solid fractions*of a stock material containing said fractions comprising an open endedperforated shell of tapered conical configuration having a lowerconvergent end for discharge and an upper divergent end for rea ribbonscrew element having an open center with an I unobstructed inner edgeforming a spiral flight conveyor of conical configuration concentricallydis posed within said shell with the periphery thereof positioned inclose proximity to and rcoextending with the inner wall of said shell toengage solid material thereon,

the areas between turns ofthe spiral being open radially inwardly,

second drive means to rotate said conveyor at a rate different than saidshell to provide suflicient relative movement therebetween tosimultaneously plow and propel said solid material toward the convergentend of said shell against the flow of said solid material toward thedivergent end of said shell under the centrifugal action whereby thesolid fraction is discharged at the convergent end,

said conveyor and said shell constructed and arranged to propel portionsof said solid stock material upwardly by centrifugal force toward thedivergent end radially within the inner edge of the ribbon screw elementof the flight'conveyor, and liquid conducting means for receiving theexpelled liquid fraction.

3. A centrifugal separator for separating the liquid and solid fractionsof a stock material containing said fractions comprising an open endedperforated shell of tapered conical configuration having a lowerconvergent end for discharge and an upper divergent end for receivingstock material and mounted for rotation about a substantially verticalaxis,

an annular housing surrounding said shell,

an upturned annular flange in the housing surrounding the lowerconvergent end of the shell,

an annular deflector plate on the lower end of the shell projectingoutwardly and downwardly over said flange for deflecting liquidfractions of the stock material outwardly within said housing,

a first drive means to rotate the shell at a rapid rate to providesufficient centrifugal force to expel said liquid fraction from saidstock material through the perforations of said shell and to move saidsolid material by centrifugal force toward the divergent end of saidshell, Y

a ribbon screw element having an open center with an unobstructed inneredge forming a spiral flight conveyor of conical configurationconcentrically disposed within said shell with the periphery thereofpositioned in close proximity to and coextending with the inner wall ofsaid shell to engage solid material thereon, the areas between turns ofthe spiral being open radially inwardly,

second drive means to rotate said conveyor at a rate different than saidshell to provide suflicient relative movement therebetween tosimultaneously plow and propel said solid material toward the convergentend of said shell against the flow of said solid material toward thedivergent end of said shell under the centrifugal action whereby thesolid fraction is discharged at the convergent end,

said conveyor and said shell constructed and.

arranged to propel portions of said solid stock material upwardly bycentrifugal force toward 7 the divergent end radially within the inneredge 2,498,767 of the ribbon screw element of the flight con- 2,516,078

veyor, and liquid conducting outlet means in the lower end of thehousing for receiving expelled liquid fractions. 5

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1897 Aikman210-374 Phelan 74-665 Schmitter 74-665 Elsken 210374 Khan et a1. 210-78REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner.

J. DE CESARE, Assistant Examiner.

1. A CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOR SEPARATING THE LIQUID AND SOLID FRACTIONSOF A STOCK MATERIAL CONTAINING SAID FRACTIONS COMPRISING AN OPEN ENDEDPERFORATED SHELL OF TAPERED CONICAL CONFIGURATION HAVING A LOWERCONVERGENT END FOR DISCHARGE AND AN UPPER DIVERGENT END FOR RECEIVINGSTOCK MATERIAL AND MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALAXIS, A FIRST DRIVE MEANS TO ROTATE THE SHELL AT A RAPID RATE TO PROVIDESUFFICIENT CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO EXPEL SAID LIQUID FRACTION FROM SAIDSTOCK MATERIAL THROUGH THE PERFORATIONS OF SAID SHELL AND TO MOVE SAIDSOLID MATERIAL BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TOWARD THE DIVERGENT END OF SAIDSHELL, A RIBBON SCREW ELEMENT HAVING AN OPEN CENTER WITH AN UNOBSTRUCTEDINNER EDGE FORMING A SPIRAL FLIGHT CONVEYOR OF CONICAL CONFIGURATIONCONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID SHELL WITH THE PERIPHERY THEREOFPOSITIONED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AND COEXTENDING WITH THE INNER WALL OFSAID SHELL TO ENGAGE SOLID MATERIAL THEREON, THE AREAS BETWEEN TURNS OFTHE SPIRAL BEING OPEN RADIALLY INWARDLY, SECOND DRIVE MEANS TO ROTATESAID CONVEYOR AT A RATE DIFFERENT THAN SAID SHELL TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENTREL-